Growing Up
by Galaxy-Defending-Hopeful
Summary: Dougie has some trust issues, the guys try and help him trust them. When he accidently goes missing, they realise just how deep his issues run. Set back in 2003 when Dougie was 15. A little bit of Pudd, incredibly fluffy, fragile Dougie. Oneshot. Complete.


**Hey guys! This fanfic is basically written because I absolutely love fragile!Dougie. I hope that you enjoy!**

* * *

"Guys, guys, guys, guys, guys!" babbled Dougie, entering the living room and immediately throwing himself down on top of the other three, who were sat on the sofa.

"What, what's happened?" Harry asked, slipping his arms around the fifteen year old. Despite a two year age difference, the two had become very close very quickly and had a little, mutual crush on each other.

"It's SATURDAY!"

"Yeah?"

"We should DO something! Go out, have fun!" he insisted, cuddling up to Harry and bouncing a little on the older boy's skinny legs.

"Why?" moaned Danny.

"Because it's SATURDAY!" Dougie practically shouted.

"Dude, you're not at school any more. Every day can be Saturday if you want, and Saturday can feel like a Monday." Tom replied.

"Well I'm going to have fun, even if you lot are going to laze here!" Dougie said, wriggling out of Harry's arms, landing gracefully on the floor and leaving the room in a manner just as whirl-windy as he entered.

* * *

Dougie had to admit – taking a random bus to a random place with £5 and no phone in an area that he hardly knew was not his finest plan. Still, it wasn't his worst (approaching a girl when he was thirteen, dropping a piece of gum on her shoes, picking it up and smugly saying 'Well, isn't this sweet' was probably his worst).

"Excuse me, um, can you-"

"Sorry to bother you, but-"

"Wait, where am-"

No one listened when he asked for directions, no one at all. Panic rose through him as he glanced over the huge crowds of people. WHY didn't he pick up his phone? Tom, Danny and Harry were going to go crazy at him...

* * *

"Where the fuck did Dougsie go?" Harry asked at seven that evening. "It's been like ten hours, he should be back now."

"He's probably just in a strop because none of us would go out with him." Tom replied.

"He's not the type." Harry immediately replied. "If he was pissed at us he'd probably be storming around, and sighing all the time. I'll phone him."

Harry only had to press one button to phone Dougie – very quickly, he had gained speeddial position in his mind. However, to no avail – Tom, Danny and Harry heard his mobile go off upstairs.

"That's not good." Danny lamely said, staring at the other two.

"Well, does he have his wallet?" Tom asked, prompting Harry to run up and check.

"No!" the call shouted downstairs doubled each of their worries.

"I think we need to phone the police, then." Tom grimly said, picking up the house phone.

"Oh god, why didn't one of us go with him..." groaned Danny. "Why on earth didn't one of us go with him?"

* * *

Dougie sat against the wall of a shop, shivering. Somewhere nearby a church clock struck twelve. Midnight. WHY. Why had he been so stupid? Why didn't he just decide to stay with the guys and have fun with them, instead of by himself? He began to snivel, resting his head on his knees. All he wanted was for Harry to slip his strong arms around his shoulders and cuddle him. But no. Here he was, having spent his £5 earlier on on some lunch, with no idea where he was and dressed only in trainers, shorts and a T-shirt. Tears ran down his arms as he huddled up, trying to stay warm. After a long, long while he finally fell into a tired sleep, cuddling up on the rough, gravelly pavement.

"Harry..." he whispered, as he slipped into the welcome embrace of slumber.

* * *

"We're sorry, Mr Fletcher, Mr Judd, Mr Jones, but we still haven't found him. We are going to extend the search further around, see where the local buses go to and try and find somewhere that he may be. We will be in close contact with you today, and we'll let you know if we find him." the policeofficer gently told them after a long conversation via radio with another officer. Harry sank down on the sofa, a million images running through his mind. Dougie beaten up, Dougie dead, Dougie crying alone...tears welled in his own eyes as he thought of his little Doug, little butty, all alone.

"Thank you." Tom faintly said, showing the officer out. It was six AM, and they had been up all night, answering endless questions and growing more and more anxious. Danny sat down beside Harry, slipping an arm around him.

"Don't worry, Haz. We'll find him."

Tom sat down as well, and the three held each other numbly, fear hitting them icily.

* * *

"Are you Dougie Poynter?" Dougie looked up, alarmed. It was nine AM, and he was still sat by the shop, feeling sick and miserable. He had walked around for a good hour and a half, searching for a police station of some kind, but he just couldn't find one. Now, he was back outside of 'Smith's Family Butchers', trying not to attract the attention of the crowds of people.

"Yeah, I am."

"Come with me – your friends are very worried."

Dougie stood up, still crying a little. The police officer, a rounded woman with dark brown hair, saw Dougie's discomfort and gently slipped an arm around him.

"What are you worried about, love?"

"The guys are going to hate me." he sniffled.

"Don't be silly! They're blaming themselves for not going with you! Now, come on, I'll drive you back down and everything will be okay."

Dougie nodded, following her through the streets to the police car.

* * *

"Dougie!" Harry saw the boy emerge from the police car outside and his name slipped from his lips before he could stop it. In seconds he was outside, running towards Dougie and scooping him into a tight hug. Dougie returned the hug, resting his head on Harry's shoulder.

"You worried me so much." Harry whispered, holding his friend and feeling the love beat mutually in their healing hearts.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Dougie whispered.

"I'm sorry that I didn't go with you, Dougs."

The two held their embrace for a little while before Harry thanked the police officer and the two headed inside.

* * *

Just like parents with a child who went missing, the initial relief turned to anger after a little while. And, again, just like parents with a child, this lead to arguments.

"I just wanted to have fun!" Dougie shouted.

"Dougie, you're fifteen! You know that you shouldn't-" Tom replied, trying to remain calm

"Fuck you, Tom!" Dougie snarled.

Tom closed his eyes for a second, holding his breath. He really didn't want to lose it with Dougie.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to me like that, Dougie."

"You're not my dad!"

"I KNOW, Dougie! I'm not trying to be! I'm just trying to help you!"

"Just piss off, Tom, I don't-"

Dougie shut up when he saw Tom advancing rapidly across the room towards him. He grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the living room and up the stairs, past Harry and Danny, who were gaping.

"Dougie, I would like you to stay in your room until you have calmed down." Tom said through gritted teeth.

"You can't send me to my room, I'm fifteen!" Dougie said in disgust.

"Dougie, I'm your friend, your bandmate. I want to be close to you. I can't do that while you're screaming and effing and blinding at me. I'm not sending you to your room, I just want you to calm down so that we can talk calmly."

Dougie gave Tom a death-glare for a few seconds before throwing himself onto his bed, sighing deeply. Tom left the room.

* * *

"You sent Dougie to his room?" Danny asked, giving Tom a look that was half-admiring, half-surprised.

"No, I just want him to calm down and I figure that he'll be calmest in his own space and his own room." Tom replied, shaking a little in a mixture of anger and fear.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Harry offered. "He probably isn't pissed off at me, but he obviously is at you."

Tom nodded, sighing. "I was just trying to talk to him and he started screaming and swearing."

"It's because he's scared that you'll leave him like his dad did." Harry said, wise beyond his years. "Now, I'll go and talk to him."

* * *

Harry knocked on the door several times, but received no reply. "Okay, I'm coming in Dougs."

"Fuck off!"

Harry ignored Dougie and entered, sitting down next to the younger boy on the bed.

"Hey, Dougie."

Dougie didn't reply.

"Want to talk?"

Silence.

"Dougs, you can't talk to anyone like that, not even your enemies. Tom isn't even an enemy – he's a mate. Why did you act like that?"

There was a single moment of silence before Dougie started shouting. "You're all dicks! You try and treat me like a little kid, and I'm NOT! I'm just as grown up as you cocks!"

Harry slipped an arm around Dougie's shoulders, but he was angrily shaken off.

"Oh Doug." Harry murmured. "You've really got some problems."

"Get out of my room!" shrieked Dougie, punching at Harry, anger bubbling up in him.

Harry left the room, thoughts of Dougie filling his mind.

* * *

"I think...I think that Dougie kind of wants us to ground him or something. I think that he's worried that we don't care about him or something." Harry said to the other two. They had congregated in the living room after Harry's unsuccessful attempt to get Dougie to talk.

"Dude, your nose is bleeding." Danny said to Harry, pointing out a trickle of blood that had started to dribble down his face.

"That was Dougie. He punched me a few times."

"He punched you?" Tom exclaimed. "I don't care whether he wants us to punish him, he needs it anyway."

Danny gave a little laugh. "You sound like a parent."

"More like a big brother, I hope." Tom replied. "Now, I think all three of us need to go up and talk to him."

* * *

They decided not to knock this time – it hadn't done anything for Harry, so presumably it wouldn't work this time around. Dougie was lying out on his bed, his eyes closed. As soon as he heard them enter, he scrambled up into seating position, looking scared. Tom decided to speak first,

"Dougie, we all need to talk. If you refuse to, we're going to talk anyway. Now, why did you go crazy earlier?"

Dougie ignored them, closing his eyes.

"Was it because you're mad at us?"

Nothing.

Danny spoke up. "Was it because you wanted us to prove to you that we care?"

Dougie's eyes snapped open, and he stared at them. He opened his mouth, seemingly about to speak, but nothing came out.

"We've been talking, and we think that because you're only fifteen, you're still going to make a lot of mistakes. So we think, with your agreement, that if you do something like you've done today – not the going out bit, but the shouting and punching and swearing – we'll have to deal with you like a parent would. We want to be like your big brothers, as well as friends." Tom carefully said. "So, what do you think?"

Dougie looked at them, eyes wide. "Do you all really care about me?"

They all nodded, and the three sat down on the bed, each moving closer to comfort Dougie.

"Then, okay. You can."

Harry gently took Dougie's hand.

"Okay. We've all agreed on this. Starting from today, except for band business, you're grounded for two weeks. No going out to the shops, no going out to town, nothing. Just band stuff, otherwise you're here." Tom said heavily.

Dougie nodded, looking a little disappointed.

"Dougs?"

"Yeah?"

"We love you."

"I love you all as well."

* * *

Dougie found the two weeks difficult – he didn't like not being able to nip out and get a chocolate bar whenever he wanted, or do whatever he wanted. However, his behaviour towards the others increased in quality dramatically. He never had to be grounded again, though he did explode once or twice more in the middle of arguments and cause the guys to send him to his room again. By 2005, when he was seventeen, he was secure and happy.

"Harry, I love you." Dougie whispered, curling up closer to his boyfriend.

"I love you as well, Dougie."

"I don't know how I ever disbelieved that."


End file.
